We always have these forums and random tastings and we tweet with #WineinKenya every Wednesday from 10am to noon. I was joined by my fellow connoisseurs for an intimate tasting at Sankara. Penelope & I were looking forward to have our 6th #WineinKenya event happen at an actual restaurant. Tom Magara of Kenya Wines joined us and he helped us break apart the wines. Sankara Nairobi was our venue for the evening and they facilitated the tasting. We were 6 wine lovers. David ( Executive Assistant Manager) Sankara and Geoffrey (Assistant Sommelier) also joined us to take us through the session.
Our theme was New World and Old World Wines.
“The most basic difference between Old World and New World wines is geographic: “Old World” refers to the traditional winegrowing regions of Europe, while “New World” refers to everything else. These distinctions can also refer to differences in style. The climates of New World wine regions are often warmer, which tends to result in riper, more alcoholic, full-bodied and fruit-centered wines. These wines are often made in a more highly extracted and oak-influenced style. Old World wines tend to be lighter-bodied, exhibiting more herb, earth, mineral and floral components. While these are gross generalizations, that’s how these terms are commonly used. These days, the terms “Old World” and “New World” can take on even broader connotations and spark debates among wine lovers, usually about tradition vs. modernization. “Old World” implies tradition, history, and an “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” mentality, while the term “New World” invokes technology, science, corporations and marketing”.- Source. WineSpectator.com
We tasted two white and two reds accompanied by some bitings.
We tasted four wines.
1). Ratts Original Chenin Blanc
This was the first white wine for the evening. It was medium bodied and very fruit on the nose. It had intense flavours of pear and pineapples. I’d pair it with white meat.
2). Georgio Dalla Cia Chardonnay 2010.
Georgio Dalla Cia and his son George Dalla Cia are impressive wine makers from South Africa. They made two wines specifically for Sankara. One of the wines is this Chardonnay which boasted hints of fresh apples, passion fruits and honey. It had intense lingering flavours.
3. Georgio Dalla Cia Merlot 2010
This was the other wine that was made exclusively for Sankara. It was the favorite among many. Despite the bland labels, these Dalla Cia Wines proved to impress most people. In fact we took a poll and most people settled on this Merlot as the wine of the Night.
4. Norton Malbec 2012
This was my best wine of the night. It was from Argentina. It was sweet when it enters the mouth and the taste changed to more earthy. I loved the surprise element of the wine changing from sweet to earthy undertones. It paired well with my red meat.
If you intend to try any of these wines you can get them at Sankara Nairobi. Special Thanks to Sankara Nairobi and SHK Consulting for organizing the Tasting.